SAFFRON AVENUE
Name: Angela Mondloch
Location: Madison, WI
Business Name: Saffron Avenue
Industry: Branding and Design
www.saffronavenue.com
GIVE US YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH FOR YOUR BUSINESS.
Saffron Avenue is a boutique design studio specializing in complete logo, brand, and website design. Beyond crafting unique
brands for small businesses I am a sucker for beautiful lettering
and calligraphy. From handwriting, watercolor, brush pen, and
custom illustrations, I simply love creating them all. I believe in
the use of perfect color pairings, pretty patterns, big blooms,
chai tea, and of course lovely clients with big hearts and big
dreams.
country without a job or any friends or family was a pretty big
success, considering it taught me a lot in that time and lead
me to where I am today. Not only that but this year I have also
booked three very big clients and projects that I never thought I
would have the opportunity to work with and get to meet.
WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST ROLE MODEL/INFLUENCER?
To be honest I'm not sure if I have one specific role model, I
actually look up to a ton of ladies I follow on instagram. For example, Lara Casey, Emily Ley, Jenna Kutcher, Salted Ink, Adrienne Bosh, and more. So many of them are amazing as entrepreneurs, mothers, female business owners, etc. They also do
such a great job inspiring others while being
true to themselves. I completely admire that!
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?
I started out wanting to be a wedding planner! At age 13 I started saving up money for a one-way ticket to
move to the coast after graduating, to start my
own wedding planning career. Sure enough
“New projects tend to
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU TELL YOUR
about a year or so after graduating college I
fire me up, so having the YOUNGER SELF JUST STARTING OUT?
moved to North Carolina. I found a bedroom
to rent on craigslist, packed up my old Honopportunity to take on There are times I wouldn't tell myself anything,
I'm so thankful for where I am today.
da, and drove 2,000 miles to a state where I
new and exciting pro- because
But, at the same time I would want to tell my
didn't have any friends or family. I had enough
jects definitely keep me 20-something self to just plain slow down.
money saved up to allow me to stay for two
While I lived in NC I worked, and worked a
months in hopes I would find a job in that time.
going.”
lot. I had two jobs each averaging about 25
Luckily I found a job at a local bakery where
hours a week, as well as trying to build my
I helped design wedding cakes and dessert
side business. In essence I was working another part-time job.
bars. I started teaching myself graphic design in order to make
I averaged about four hours of sleep at times and worked every
money on the side through my blog and Etsy, as well as landing
weekend. I unfortunately turned down days at the beach, nights
a part time position at a marketing firm. Over time the more I
with friends on the water, and just didn't spend enough time
learned, the more I loved design. My blog started growing, and
enjoying where I was.
so did the need for logos and small business branding. Now,
four years later, I work full time with amazing clients, helping
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE TIPS FOR ASPIRING FEMALE
them design their business from the ground up!
ENTREPRENEURS?
(1) Be yourself: Create your own brand and style, try to set
WHAT DRIVES YOU TO KEEP GOING, ESPECIALLY WHEN
yourself apart from others in the industry (2) Put in the time: I
THINGS GET HARD?
get asked a lot how I learned to do what I do, and to be honest
New projects tend to fire me up, so having the opportunity to
I spent endless hours googling and youtubing how to it. From
take on new and exciting projects definitely keep me going. Not
creating an invoice, learning web development, doing calligraonly that but constantly challenging myself to learn something
phy, etc. I didn't take classes, I simply did a lot of research. (3)
new, from calligraphy, watercolor, web development, etc. Any
Make Friends: I don't view other designers as competition, but
chance I get to step away from the computer can be a breath of
as colleagues in the industry. Becoming friends with them is so
fresh air, to rejuvenate me. And yes, coffee helps too!
great, they are a sounding board, a coach, a mentor, a referral,
and someone that can push you to be better.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BEST SUCCESS STORY IN YOUR CAREER?
I would say the fact that I took a ris